On Super Bowl Sunday, Play it Safe and Don’t Drive Drunk

By Adrian Altshuler | February 2, 2016

Each year there is a spike in drunk driving accidents and fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday. As the big game approaches, fans are urged to make a plan if they are going to leave their homes to attend a Super Bowl celebration where they will be consuming alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a person was killed in an alcohol-impaired crash every 53 minutes in 2011 (9,878 drunk driving fatalities). On Super Bowl Sunday of that year, 36 percent of fatalities from motor vehicle crashes were alcohol-related. For statistical purposes, the NHTSA considers Super Bowl Sunday to be from 6am on Sunday to 5:59 am on Monday morning. Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS) reports that states that have a team in the super bowl have almost quadruple the number of alcohol violations than states that do not have a team in the game. For example, in 2015 when the New England Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks, there were five times as many violations among offenders in New England than in the rest of the U.S. The state of Washington saw a 59 percent increase over an ordinary Sunday. On days such as Super Bowl Sunday when there is enhanced enforcement on the roads you have a greater than normal chance of being pulled over and arrested if you are driving under the influence. The NHTSA is running its annual Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign in an effort to encourage those who plan to go out and drink to choose a sober designated driver before the event begins. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) share the following Super Bowl Sunday Checklist. They are advising that before you leave the house to attend a Super Bowl party you should take care of the following: • Get a babysitter for the kids • Wear your favorite player's jersey • Bring a delicious snack or pot-luck favorite • Make some winning predictions • Choose a sober designated driver If you happen to be hosting a Super Bowl party, here are some additional tips from the NHTSA: • You can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you serve alcohol to ends up in a drunk driving crash • Make sure that your guests have a designated driver arranged in advance. Otherwise, help arrange alternate transportation • Be sure to provide lots of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party • Stop serving alcohol by the end of the third quarter and begin serving coffee and desserts • Make a list of local cab companies and take the keys away from guests who have had too much to drink Do not become a statistic or create a statistic be causing a drunk driving crash. Drink responsibly and enjoy Super Bowl 2016 with family and friends. Have you been charged with a DUI in Tennessee? We can help. Contact the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates for an aggressive Franklin or Columbia DUI defense attorney today.Each year there is a spike in drunk driving accidents and fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday. As the big game approaches, fans are urged to make a plan if they are going to leave their homes to attend a Super Bowl celebration where they will be consuming alcohol.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a person was killed in an alcohol-impaired crash every 53 minutes in 2011 (9,878 drunk driving fatalities). On Super Bowl Sunday of that year, 36 percent of fatalities from motor vehicle crashes were alcohol-related. For statistical purposes, the NHTSA considers Super Bowl Sunday to be from 6am on Sunday to 5:59 am on Monday morning.

Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS) reports that states that have a team in the super bowl have almost quadruple the number of alcohol violations than states that do not have a team in the game. For example, in 2015 when the New England Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks, there were five times as many violations among offenders in New England than in the rest of the U.S. The state of Washington saw a 59 percent increase over an ordinary Sunday.

On days such as Super Bowl Sunday when there is enhanced enforcement on the roads you have a greater than normal chance of being pulled over and arrested if you are driving under the influence. The NHTSA is running its annual Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign in an effort to encourage those who plan to go out and drink to choose a sober designated driver before the event begins.

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) share the following Super Bowl Sunday Checklist. They are advising that before you leave the house to attend a Super Bowl party you should take care of the following:

  • Get a babysitter for the kids
  • Wear your favorite player’s jersey
  • Bring a delicious snack or pot-luck favorite
  • Make some winning predictions
  • Choose a sober designated driver

If you happen to be hosting a Super Bowl party, here are some additional tips from the NHTSA:

  • You can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you serve alcohol to ends up in a drunk driving crash
  • Make sure that your guests have a designated driver arranged in advance. Otherwise, help arrange alternate transportation
  • Be sure to provide lots of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party
  • Stop serving alcohol by the end of the third quarter and begin serving coffee and desserts
  • Make a list of local cab companies and take the keys away from guests who have had too much to drink

Do not become a statistic or create a statistic be causing a drunk driving crash. Drink responsibly and enjoy Super Bowl 2016 with family and friends.

Have you been charged with a DUI in Tennessee? We can help. Contact the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates for an aggressive Franklin or Columbia DUI defense attorney today.

Posted in DUI, Uncategorized